Help!

[Kaz261]

Hi all. I don't know what's going on but my Fbg seems to be getting lower and lower. A week or so ago my usual level was mid 5's, this morning it's 4.3 and I nearly passed out in the bathroom. I still feel really dodgy now. I've checked my blood pressure this morning and that was fine.

For the last two days I've been struggling to keep my levels up. Two hours after eating my levels are back to low 5's and I need to eat again.

My youngest has a really bad sickness bug so I've had a little less sleep than normal, but the lower numbers started before that.

My diet and routine hasn't changed in any way. I wouldn't mind the lower numbers if I felt OK with them!

Any ideas or suggestions welcome

 

[tooner9]

i got told to keep a pack of haribos in the cupboard for emergencys

 

[Kaz261]

Thanks @tooner9. As much as I would love to tuck into a bag of Haribos, they would send my bs rocketing and only result in a hypo . I just don't understand the sudden drop in fasting level and with two young children to look after its quite frightening when you feel like you're going to pass out!

I wish my Endo would have done a 72 hour fast to rule anything else out but he didn't. My fasting levels were 5.9 both time he tested so at the time he probably didn't think it was necessary. I've now been discharged and can't get another referral for love nor money!

Hope all is ok (ish) with you? x

 

[Brunneria]

Hi
Sorry to hear this, because you have been feeling better recently.
Viruses can muck us about, but often the result is a raised bg. Having said that, @nosher8355 's flu thing dropped his levels a bit, I think. Mine rose with a similar virus.

Couple of questions - could this be related to school holidays and changes in routine? I am afraid I don't know how old your kids are, so don't know if that is a possibility.
And have you changed your eating recently?

At those bg levels, it is certainly not a hypo in the ordinary sense of the word. So (sorry about this) I am going to default to my usual setting and suggest you go very low carb for a while and see if that helps - but you would have to go through the transition phase (carb flu) before you could reasonably assess whether it was helping, and that could take 3 weeks or so of sticking to it properly.

Beyond that, I am afraid I have nothing to offer, except that I hope things do improve!

 

[tooner9]

ive been moved to james cook hospital from sunderland and they seem pretty on the ball ive had the 72hr testing no good im having a lucozade test done in two weeks where they fill u full of lucozade and monitor u and ur bloods

 

[Kaz261]

Hi
Sorry to hear this, because you have been feeling better recently.
Viruses can muck us about, but often the result is a raised bg. Having said that, @nosher8355 's flu thing dropped his levels a bit, I think. Mine rose with a similar virus.

Couple of questions - could this be related to school holidays and changes in routine? I am afraid I don't know how old your kids are, so don't know if that is a possibility.
And have you changed your eating recently?

At those bg levels, it is certainly not a hypo in the ordinary sense of the word. So (sorry about this) I am going to default to my usual setting and suggest you go very low carb for a while and see if that helps - but you would have to go through the transition phase (carb flu) before you could reasonably assess whether it was helping, and that could take 3 weeks or so of sticking to it properly.

Beyond that, I am afraid I have nothing to offer, except that I hope things do improve!

Thanks Brun. It's very disappointing as things were going along quite nicely.

The kids started back to school on Monday so my routine has changed a little. My youngest has a sickness bug so sleep has been disrupted somewhat. I did go to bed earlier last night and had to jump out of bed at 5am to aid a puking toddler! May be that dropped me more than I thought?

I just don't understand how my fasting level can be low to mid 5's one day and then mid to low 4's the next, with no real routine or diet change. May be the wind changed direction!

I mentioned it to the Doc this morning (had to take my little one) and she's recommended I see the Specialist DN again. I have an appointment next Thurs morning so all my problems will be solved then .

I'm desperate to get my hands on one of those Libra's. Haven't heard anything since the end of December! At least it would show me what my levels are doing during the night, as its my waking levels that seems to be the problem for me.

Thanks for taking the time to offer advice. Much appreciated x

 

[Kaz261]

ive been moved to james cook hospital from sunderland and they seem pretty on the ball ive had the 72hr testing no good im having a lucozade test done in two weeks where they fill u full of lucozade and monitor u and ur bloods

Sounds like you're getting all the tests you need. Did you hypo when you had the 72 hour fasting test? Good luck the the lucozade test next week. I hope you get some answers soon. All the best

 

[Lamont D]

Hi all. I don't know what's going on but my Fbg seems to be getting lower and lower. A week or so ago my usual level was mid 5's, this morning it's 4.3 and I nearly passed out in the bathroom. I still feel really dodgy now. I've checked my blood pressure this morning and that was fine.

For the last two days I've been struggling to keep my levels up. Two hours after eating my levels are back to low 5's and I need to eat again.

My youngest has a really bad sickness bug so I've had a little less sleep than normal, but the lower numbers started before that.

My diet and routine hasn't changed in any way. I wouldn't mind the lower numbers if I felt OK with them!

Any ideas or suggestions welcome

Other than what Brun has suggested, I believe it could be your bloods adapting again and because you have become more susceptible to changes in your bloods, you are feeling something like a false hypo.
Or more likely to be the virus playing around with you!
I've just about got over the man flu thingy and that was certainly no picnic!
But my bloods haven't taken me out of ketosis, really weird especially with the temperature I had!

Just a thought, is it your waking fasting bloods or your pre meal fasting bloods?
As it could be your liver dump or dawn phenomenon adapting.

Hope it sorts itself out!

Funny, you should mention your specialist discharging you. Cos my daughter has with her hasimotos, they have told her to get a referral closer to her home.
She was significantly put out by this. And her doctors not amused at all.

I think Kaz, in all honesty, unless your doctor can get you an endo with our type of diagnosis, then what use are they?

And don't touch the haribos!!

 

[Lamont D]

ive been moved to james cook hospital from sunderland and they seem pretty on the ball ive had the 72hr testing no good im having a lucozade test done in two weeks where they fill u full of lucozade and monitor u and ur bloods

I was going to ask the same question as @Kaz261.
Is it called a prolonged oral glucose tolerance test?

Don't eat haribos!

 

[tooner9]

i think it is

 

[tooner9]

Kaz261

my bloods went to 2.9 then they tested it not quite the full 72hr

 

[Lamont D]

Kaz261

my bloods went to 2.9 then they tested it not quite the full 72hr

After how long did you hypo?
That will be probably something along the lines of insulinoma then.
The other tests you should be having will give you a better diagnosis.

I'm not qualified to give a proper diagnosis cos I can't and I haven't got the blood tests results. Or am qualified. So what I've said could be rubbish! When I had mine, I never had a hypo. So RH was diagnosed. But I was told at that time it was to dismiss the possibility of having insulinoma.

You could have a number of things on top of RH. So I wouldn't stop low carbing.
Think you will get sorted eventually.
It is a wonder if you don't know about other tests.

Hope you are coping with the symptoms it seems to be going.
Be well

 

[Kaz261]

Hi Nosher, pleased to hear you're feeling better.

My problem is my morning fasting levels. They seem to fluctuate a lot despite my diet and routine being very similar most days. I know 4.3 isn't a hypo level but I came over so light headed and faint it was quite frightening. Luckily my husband hadn't left for work!

My readings 2 hours after eating have been on the lower side too. The other night I had a reading of 4.4 after a low carb dinner. Again, not a hypo but I certainly feel dodgy at those levels!

 

[Lamont D]

Hi Nosher, pleased to hear you're feeling better.

My problem is my morning fasting levels. They seem to fluctuate a lot despite my diet and routine being very similar most days. I know 4.3 isn't a hypo level but I came over so light headed and faint it was quite frightening. Luckily my husband hadn't left for work!

My readings 2 hours after eating have been on the lower side too. The other night I had a reading of 4.4 after a low carb dinner. Again, not a hypo but I certainly feel dodgy at those levels!

Obviously, it might be psychological or it could be hormonal. I'm just not sure.
I would stop the waking test and take it before having breakfast, it's not ideal but worrying might give you a hormonal change.
Your liver might be under or over reacting and giving you more glucagon than you need, which would mean the increase in insulin production. So the lower readings.
I would just do the meal time recording and do the waking occasionally, just once a week say, just to keep an eye on it.
Don't forget testing is for trends, not just for that time or meal.
If I think of something, I will reply.

 

[lindisfel]

Hi Kaz can you get your diabetic nurse to check your blood glucose level and test with your meter at the same time. Of course they both could be wrong but surgery meters have their calibration checked. Yours could be reading high? Anyway it should help you know where you are, hopefully! Best wishes, Derek

Hi Nosher, pleased to hear you'rHie feeling better.

My problem is my morning fasting levels. They seem to fluctuate a lot despite my diet and routine being very similar most days. I know 4.3 isn't a hypo level but I came over so light headed and faint it was quite frightening. Luckily my husband hadn't left for work!

My readings 2 hours after eating have been on the lower side too. The other night I had a reading of 4.4 after a low carb dinner. Again, not a hypo but I certainly feel dodgy at those levels!

 

[Kaz261]

Hi Kaz can you get your diabetic nurse to check your blood glucose level and test with your meter at the same time. Of course they both could be wrong but surgery meters have their calibration checked. Yours could be reading high? Anyway it should help you know where you are, hopefully! Best wishes, Derek

That's a good idea Derek. I've got an appointment next week so will ask her to do it. I think SD Codefree meter could be reading a little low. I also have a Glucolab meter that my Gran gave me which nearly always reads higher. Thanks for the advice. All the best

 

[Linagirl]

Sorry to hear you are feeling rubbish Kaz I think stress has an effect but I would have thought it would raise cortisol and so blood sugar? Have you started having any herbal tea or eating more of anything that reduces bg? Such as cinnamon? Xx

 

[Kaz261]

Sorry to hear you are feeling rubbish Kaz I think stress has an effect but I would have thought it would raise cortisol and so blood sugar? Have you started having any herbal tea or eating more of anything that reduces bg? Such as cinnamon? Xx

Thanks Emma. I haven't changed anything other than I have started taking a vitamin B complex supplement. Not sure that would have an effect? Hope all is good with you?

 

[Kaz261]

Still feeling a little off today so I think it could be viral. This mornings Fbg was 4.6 with the codefree and 6.4 with the Glucolab!! Yes, I did check that I wasn't reading one of them up side down! How can we trust these things?!

My Daughter has had a nasty sickness bug which I could easily catch, which leads me onto the question......what happens generally to our bg if we are sick and unable to eat? My little one has been unable to keep even water down, so it worries me what it would be like for me if I caught it? I guess you just have to keep checking your levels and eat/drink what you can to bring them up if necessary?

 

[Lamont D]

Still feeling a little off today so I think it could be viral. This mornings Fbg was 4.6 with the codefree and 6.4 with the Glucolab!! Yes, I did check that I wasn't reading one of them up side down! How can we trust these things?!

My Daughter has had a nasty sickness bug which I could easily catch, which leads me onto the question......what happens generally to our bg if we are sick and unable to eat? My little one has been unable to keep even water down, so it worries me what it would be like for me if I caught it? I guess you just have to keep checking your levels and eat/drink what you can to bring them up if necessary?

Sometimes, you can treat it as a fast.
I have done that once, I went a couple of days till I managed to eat something.
When I fast my bloods don't go anywhere, it just sits in the normal range.
You won't know till you try it.

It does sound viral to me Kaz. Anything and everything can mess with your bloods.